在本段中,该章继续讨论那些能够证实真主独一的迹象,例如受造物的极大多样性、真主恩典的完美以及祂对万物的绝对知识。不过,本段特别突出了复活的问题。"末日"(Sā'ah,直译为"最后的时辰")是《古兰经》中的一个用语,指向审判日的集结与清算,是真主独自保守的奥秘之一。本段提到真主在天地之间、在人类身上以及在广阔宇宙中所创造的各种隐秘之事。其中一项与末日有关,其确切时间唯有真主知晓。祂轻而易举地掌控着它:"末日的来临将在瞬息之间完成,甚至更快。"(第77节)另一项奥秘与女性子宫中所孕育的事物有关。唯有真主使胎儿从子宫中降生,而胎儿对所降临的世界毫无所知。也是祂赐予人类听觉、视觉和思考的恩惠。这些都是值得感恩的恩典。该章还提到飞鸟以及它们如何被赋予飞翔的能力。不言而喻,使它们悬浮于半空的,正是真主。

In this passage the sūrah continues its discussion of the aspects confirming the truth of God’s oneness, such as the great variety of creation, the perfection of God’s blessings and His absolute knowledge of all things. However, in this passage, prominence is given to the question of resurrection. The Last Hours which is a Qur’ānic expression denoting the gathering and reckoning on the Day of Judgement, is one of the secrets which God keeps to Himself. The passage refers to the different hidden secrets of God’s creation in the heavens and the earth, in human beings and across the wide universe. One of these relates to the Last Hour, whose timing is known to God alone. He controls it with ease: “The advent of the Last Hour will be accomplished in a twinkling of an eye, or closer still.” (Verse 77) Another secret relates to what is created in the wombs of females. It is God alone who lets the foetus come out of the womb, with no knowledge whatsoever of the world it comes into. It is He also who gives human beings the blessings of hearing, seeing and thinking. These are favours which deserve gratitude. The sūrah also refers to the birds and how they are given the ability to fly. Needless to say, they are held aloft in mid-air by none other than God.

这之后提到了赐予人类的一些物质恩赐，它们与前面所说的奥秘相关。其中包括居所、休憩、荫蔽的恩赐，既有砖石建成的房屋，也有用兽皮搭成的临时居所。

This is followed by a reference to some material blessings given to mankind. These are relevant to the aforementioned secrets. They include the blessings of abode, rest, shade and shelter in built up homes and temporary dwellings made of animal skin.

这些住所的优点在于便于携带，人们迁徙时也易于重新搭建。经文还提到了用动物的羊毛、皮毛和毛发制成的家具及其他物品，以及能够遮挡烈日、抵御敌人侵袭的住所和衣物。真主提醒人们祂的恩典，以及祂如何使这些恩典圆满，以便人们尽到自己的本分："如此，祂为你们完成恩典，以便你们归顺祂。"（第81节）

The latter have the advantage of being easy to carry and re-erect when people are on the move. Reference is also made to furniture and other articles made of animal wool, fur and hair, and to places of shelter and garments that protect people from the heat of the sun and the might of the enemy. God reminds people of His blessings and how He has perfected them, so that they may fulfil their duty: “Thus does He perfect His favours to you so that you may submit to Him.” (Verse 81)

这之后是关于复活的细节，并与异教徒及他们所崇拜的偶像形成对照。真主的使者们为这些不信者作证，而先知穆罕默德ﷺ则为他自己的民族作证。

This is followed by details relating to resurrection, juxtaposed against pagans and the idols they worship. God’s messengers bear witness against such unbelievers, while the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him) is witness against his own people.

天地的幽玄之事唯独属于真主。末日的来临，犹如眨眼之间，甚或更近。真主对万事都有全能。（第77节）

To God belongs the hidden secrets of the heavens and the earth. The advent of the Last Hour will be accomplished in a twinkling of an eye, or closer still. God has power over all things. (Verse 77)

复活是信仰中的一个根本问题，在各个时代、各个群体中都引发过大量争论。真主的每一位使者都不得不面对这一问题。

Resurrection is an essential question of faith that has attracted much controversy in all periods and communities. Every one of God’s messengers had to deal with it.

然而，这仍属于唯有真主所知的领域：“天地的幽玄，唯独真主知道。”人们站在真主隐微知识（ghayb，幽玄）那厚重的帷幕之前，深知自己的无能与不足。人类或许对自己所处的世界有着广博的认识，也能发现地球上的许多宝藏以及它的资源与潜能，但即便是最伟大的人类科学家，在面对近期与远期未来的知识时，也束手无策。

Yet it is part of the realm of what is known to God alone: “To God belongs the hidden secrets of the heavens and the earth.” People stand before the thick curtains of ghayb, or God’s hidden knowledge, aware of their inability and inadequacy. They may have great knowledge of their world, and may be able to discover much of the treasures of the earth and its resources and potentials, but even the greatest human scientists stand helpless when it comes to the knowledge of the immediate and distant future.

他根本不知道下一刻会发生什么，也不知道当他吸进下一口气之后，能否再把气呼出来。人可能怀有各种高远的希望，朝着不同的方向伸展，然而他的命运仍被遮在真主自身知识的帷幕之后。他自己无从知道自己的时辰何时到来。然而它可能就在下一刻降临，他便会身在死者之列。事实上，人们对当下这一刻之后将发生的任何事一无所知，这本身就是真主赐予人类的恩典之一。他们的无知给了他们希望，驱使他们继续努力工作、不断创造。

He simply does not know what will happen the next moment, and whether, when he has taken the next breath in, he will be able to breathe out. A human being may entertain high hopes, stretching in different directions, yet his destiny remains behind the curtain of God’s own knowledge. He himself has no means of knowing when his time will come. Yet it may come the next moment and he will be among the dead. It is in fact an aspect of God’s grace bestowed on human beings that they do not know anything of what will take place beyond the present moment. Their lack of knowledge gives them hope and urges them to continue to work and produce.

无论前人所成就的，都将由后来者接续并完成，直至下一代的每一个人，轮到他或她时，都要面对属于自己的命运。

Whatever they manage will be taken over and completed by those who succeed them, until every individual of the next generation faces, in his or her turn, their destiny.

末日的时辰属于真主隐藏于人类的知识。倘若人们预先知道自己的时限何时到来，生活便会停止运转，或者至少会受到严重扰乱，也绝不会按照既定的轨迹前行。讽刺的是，人们一直在计算小时、日子、月份和年份，而自己却在不停地走向注定的约期，那时他们将离开今世。

The Last Hour is part of the knowledge kept hidden from man. If people knew in advance when their time was to come, life would cease to function, or, at least, would be seriously disrupted. It would certainly not follow the line set out for it. The irony is that people count hours, days, months and years moving all the time towards their pre-destined appointment when they will depart from this life.

在宇宙万物之中，有一些奇迹证明真主无限的大能，以及祂对万物的掌控。其中之一，是我们每天都能看到、却很少细想的事：鸟类的飞翔。真主说："难道他们没有看见天空中被驯服的飞鸟吗？除真主外，没有谁能使它们停留在空中。这里面确有迹象，给信道的民众。"（第79节） 由于我们对空中飞鸟的景象太过熟悉，便不去留意其中蕴含的奇妙。除非我们全神贯注地去思考，以一位才华横溢的诗人之眼，去捕捉其中的每一个细节与微妙之处，否则我们的思维很少会去关注它。经文明确指出，当飞鸟在空中飞翔时，"除真主外，没有谁能使它们停留在空中"。祂通过自然法则来做到这一点：正是这些法则使鸟类能够飞翔，也使我们周围的大气适宜它们飞行。正是祂的法则使飞鸟停留在半空中，安然漂浮，无需担心坠落。经文又说："这里面确有迹象，给信道的民众。"（第79节）

Among the wonders that testify to God’s limitless power and His control of everything in the universe is one that we see every day without giving it much thought. This is the ability of birds to fly: “Do they not see the birds and how they are enabled to fly in mid-air? None but God holds them aloft. In this there are signs for people who will believe.” (Verse 79) Because it is so familiar to us to see birds flying in mid- air, we do not pay attention to the fascinating wonder their flying involves. Our minds do not give it much thought unless we are fully alerted to it, contemplating it with the eye of a talented poet seeking to capture every detail and nuance. The verse makes it clear that as the birds fly, “none but God holds them aloft.” He does so through His laws of nature, which make the birds able to fly and make the atmosphere around us amenable for their flight. It is His laws that keep the birds in mid-air, floating safely, without fear that they may fall: “In this there are signs for people who will believe.” (Verse 79)

信士的心，懂得欣赏造化的奇妙，怀着敬畏之情凝视这些奇迹，并以崇拜与颂扬来表达内心的感受，向万物的创造者——真主——致敬。那些擅长表达思想与情感的信士，以各种体裁写出精彩的作品，描绘造物主创造的奇迹。他们也描述自己的感受，以及观看各种受造之物时内心所受的触动。倘若诗人的心未被信仰之光点燃，便无法与他们的作品相匹敌。

A believer’s heart is one which appreciates the wonders of creation, looks at them with awe and expresses his feelings with worship and glorification of God, the Creator of all things. Believers who are talented in expressing their thoughts and feelings write masterpieces of every type in describing the wonders of God’s creation. They also describe their own feelings and how they are touched when they look at different creatures. No poet can rival their work if his heart is not kindled by the light of faith.

本章又带领我们进一步回顾真主大能的某些迹象，以及祂赐予人类的恩惠。现在，它把我们带入当时阿拉伯人的居所，审视他们居家的舒适与陈设。

The sūrah takes us another step in reviewing some manifestations of God’s power and His blessings which He bestows on man. It takes us now into the dwellings of the Arabs at the time, looking at their home comforts and furnishings:

真主使你们的房屋成为你们的安居之所，又为你们用牲畜的皮制作帐幕，在你们旅行和扎营时，这些帐幕对你们来说都便于携带；他又用牲畜的毛、绒和发为你们制作家具和暂时使用的器物。真主用他所创造的万物为你们造了遮蔽和阴凉，为你们在山中安排了避难之所，并为你们准备了防暑的衣服，以及防御你们之间暴力的铠甲。他就这样完成对你们的恩典，以便你们顺服他。（第80-81节）

And God has made your homes as places of rest, and has given you dwellings out of the skins of animals, which are easy for you to handle when you travel and when you camp. Out of their wool, fur and hair, He has given you furnishings and articles of convenience for temporary use. And God has made for you, out of the many things He has created, shelter and shade, and has given you places of refuge in the mountains and has furnished you with garments to protect you from the heat and other garments to protect you from your [mutual] violence. Thus does He perfect His favours to you, so that you may submit to Him. (Verses 80-81)

由于本段开头提到了末日审判日到来时的末世（Last Hour），我们在此可以了解到，当它来临时，不信道者将会遭遇什么。

As the Last Hour when the Day of Judgement arrives is mentioned at the beginning of this passage, we are given here an idea of what awaits the unbelievers when it comes.

有一天，我们将从每个民族中唤起一位见证人，那时，不信道者不会被允许提出辩解，也不会被允许补过。当不义者亲眼看到所要承受的刑罚时，刑罚不会为他们减轻，他们也不会被宽限。当那些以物配主者看到他们所假托的同伴时，他们会说：“我们的主啊！这些就是我们过去舍弃你而祈求的同伴。”但他们的同伴会把他们的话驳回，说：“你们确实是说谎的人。”那日，他们将向真主表示顺服，而他们所捏造的一切，都将离他们而去。对于不信道并阻止他人遵循真主之道的人，我们要因他们所造的种种败坏，加重他们的刑罚，使刑上加刑。（第84-88节）

One day We will raise up a witness from every community, but then the unbelievers will not be allowed to make pleas, nor will they be allowed to make amends. And when the wrongdoers actually see the suffering [that awaits them], it will in no way be mitigated for them, nor will they be granted respite. And when those who associate partners with God will see their [alleged] partners, they will say: ‘Our Lord, these are our partners whom we used to invoke instead of You.’ But they will throw their word back at them, saying: ‘You are indeed liars. ‘On that day, they shall proffer submission to God; and all their inventions will have forsaken them. Upon those who disbelieve and debar others from the path of God We will heap suffering upon suffering in punishment for all the corruption they wrought. (Verses 84-88)

场景始于众先知被传唤作证，他们陈述自己在向各自的民众传达真主的讯息时所遭受的对待。不信道者将站立在那里，不被允许发言，也不能提出任何请求或辩驳。他们也不会被允许弥补过失以取悦他们的主，因为此时已经为时太晚。这是清算与裁定命运的时刻。“当不义者亲眼看见那即将降临于他们的刑罚时，刑罚不会为他们减轻，他们也不会被延缓。”（第85节）

The scene begins with the prophets being called as witnesses, giving their accounts of the treatment they received from their peoples when they conveyed God’s messages to them. The unbelievers will be standing there, not permitted to speak or make any plea or argument. They will not be allowed to make amends in order to satisfy their Lord, for it is too late to do so. It is a time for reckoning and the determination of fates. “And when the wrongdoers actually see the suffering [that awaits them], it will in no way be mitigated for them, nor will they be granted respite.” (Verse 85)

然而,当他们看到与自己聚集在一起的那些所谓"同伴"时,他们的沉默被打破了。这些"同伴"是他们过去声称与神的神性有份、并崇拜来代替神或与神并列的对象。他们指着它们呼喊:"我们的主啊,这些就是我们过去舍你而祈求的同伴。"(第86节) 他们的陈述以承认神的地位开始。他们称呼祂为"我们的主!"更重要的是,他们不再把他们过去崇拜的虚假神灵描述为神的同伴,而是称之为"我们的同伴"。那些同伴因这样的描述而感到恐惧,因为这构成了严重的指控。因此,它们予以反驳,最为坚决地断言,那些崇拜它们的人都是骗子。

Their silence however is broken when they see gathered with them those so-called ‘partners’ which they used to allege to have a share in God’s divinity, and to worship them instead of God or alongside Him. They point to them, crying out: “Our Lord, these are our partners whom we used to invoke instead of You.” (Verse 86) Their statement begins with an acknowledgement of God’s position. They address Him as “Our Lord!” What is more is that they no longer describe the false deities they used to worship as God’s partners. They refer to them as ‘our partners’. Those very partners are frightened by such a description for it constitutes a serious accusation. Hence, they refute it, asserting most emphatically that those who worshipped them are liars.